Wheeled chair.



FBNKHEID, OF TARBYTOWN, NEW YORK.

WHEELED CHAIR.

Specicatlon o! Letters'latent.

Patented Aug'. 7, 1917.

' application inea February 24. 1911. serial No. 150,642.

, l'o all 'whom t may concern:

' wheeled chairs,

`bile chair and to improve upon such struc tures of this kind as heretofore have been known. More specifically its object 1s to provide an apparatus of this kind which may be pro elled by its occupant or pushed by an atten ant in the usual ways, with selfcontained motive power which maybe connected or disconnected at will. Q

Furthermore, the object of this invention is to provide control devices of the motive power and steering mechanism of such simple construction that the apparatus may be l used safely by a child.A

rectangular frameV 16 which chair, the section 4the seat and for providingv meansln order that my invention may be thoroughly understood I will now proceed to describe thc/same in the following specification and then point out the novel features thereof in appended claims.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of a chair made accordingto and embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional plan View of the same being taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.V

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view of a part 01El the transmission geari g showing the manner in which the motive power may be disconnected from the main wheels of the chair.

Like characters designate corresponding parts in all the figures.

10 designates the chair structure. This comprises a seat 11, back 12' and side arms 13. There is also a footsrest 14 and a front or dash board 15 formed as parts of this structure. Underthe seat is a substantially supports certain parts of the mechanism. 17 is a hinged cover for protecting-the mechanism under of access thereto.

val handit is is inked a, the back' 1e @er spaced di stance small motor running at a highrateiof is thus available to -drive the chair,` as the 4 the purpose of facilitating pushing the chair about when this is desired. 4

20 is a metallic' gear casing provided with a flange 21 by means of which the frame. An electric motor 22 is supportedon a bracket 23 projecting of this casing. 'lhe shaftof this motor is splined to the hub of a pinion 24 for which a bearing 25 is provided in the side casing 20 directly above the bracket 23. A shaft 2G is rotatively supported in the hub of pin ion 24 and ina bearing 27 on the opposite side of the casing.

30 is the axle to which the main wheels 31 are affixed. Bearings 32--33 for this axle are provided in the casing and another'bearing 84 is also provided for the axle at a from` bearing 32, and blocks Badepending from the frame 16 rest upon the bearings 33 and34, to thereby support the chair structure.

it is ailixed to` from the sideA The pinion 24 is in mesh with4 a gear 36 l 30. 37 which meshes 38 loosely mountedon shaft 26 loosely mounted on axle gear 36 'forms a pinion with a gear andthe hub 30. The pinion hub 41 otthis'latter gear is in mesh with a gear 42 which is aixed to the shaft 26. 43 is a pinion splined to rotate with shaft 26 but free to slide thereon. This pinion is in mesh with agear 44 which is affixed to the wheel axle 30.

By this simple reducing gearing the rotation of the motor 22 is transmitted to the wheels 31' at a greatly reduced rate. Afvei'y s ed of propulsion of the chair is prefer-` al very slow. 4

n the axle which is a strap 52 is pivoted at end ofthe strap brake is aixed to the frame of the brake lever at 55.

Under the foot rest 14 a pair of\,rl`ers` 60 are mounted on vertically pivoted axles from which project arms 61. These lare connected wit a transverse rod 62 to which the lower endrof a steering. lever is connected by a slot and connectingV and The hub of:-

of which similarly forms a pinvion 39 in mesh with a gear 40 loose on axle 30 is a' brake slieave 50 over-'- brake 51. b'rak lever 53 to theframe 16. One

speed iod at 54 and its other end to the lower end in arrangement at 63.. The

with and from the motor 22. These parte are shown in. Fig. 1 end ore indicated dingrammetically at 66A and 67A in Fi i 2.

By the simple parts hereinbefore eseribed the oceu )ont of the elutir muy readily turn on or o the motive power, steer the chair wherever he desires it to go, orhold it in check or stop it by manipulating the bruke.

As in cose of the appel-etuis bein used ns an invnlids chair. it is often desirable to have it pus-hed about by im attendent, l have by o Simple expedient so :ii-ranged the ports that the motive mechanism muy lie disconnected at will. i

By referring again to the drawings, it may be seen that the pinion 43 'which is splined to the shaft 26 is provided with :L hub or collar in which is an annuler groove. The forked ends 70 of nn odjiistin member lit into this groove. A portion 1 of this adjusting member passes through the casing 20 at right angles to the ends 7() and terminates in a handle 72. By pulling this adjusting member) outward, the pinion 43 may be moved outof engagement with the gear 44 or. into the position in which it is shown at 43^ in Fig. 3A Now the wheeis 31 are free to rotate without effecting any partl of the transmission. gearing other than the gear 44 which is'alxed to their exie.-

The gearing is` entirely inelosed the casing 20 so t ,at there is no chance o anione being caught or injured thereby. ff the same time the gearing is proteeted from duet' ami my be immersed in lubricant. K

-I have'deseribed a convenient enmediment of m invention but' do not wish to limit myse' f to any speeific' form of conA struction, and in feet int-end no limitations other than those imposed by the appended claims. y

l What I claim is: l

I", A choir etruelmrelntvingg` e seintje pair ofmain wheelsk therefoig e Asin' of steering rollersin from; or sei" reels, vertieeily pivoted supporte for the rollers, o steeringY mechanism comiwted with seid and having :s handle near' and et one eide of 'the seat, a battery, en eleetrie and eonneetione therefor eomprieing e. ineke omi breek switch and et the other edeof the. seat, transmission reduction comprising intennesiiing spur genre weon the motor and thev nini'n wheels, seid gearing being disposed under the sent comprising mlnotor drivenl shaft. n. ilidably .eplined pinion thereon, und n niunnnlly operable odjusting lever extending upwardly at `one side of tlievseot. for disconnecting seid pinion from the other parte of the gearing'.-

2. A chair structure having a sent, n nir of main wheels therefor, un tuileI to w' ich "tien-St one of enid wheels is' nilixed, n peil' of steering rollers in frontl` of siii-J wheels, vertically pivoted supports ior the rollers o steering mechanism connected with seid supports and having o; handle near sind itt -one side of the Seann betteryt nu electric motor and connections therefor comprising a make sind break switch nen r und :it the other side of the sent, trnnsmnxslon reduction geer- 'ing comprising intermeshing spur gears between the motor and theinnin Wheels, said genringheing dlsposed under the sentconiprising a; motor driven Shaft, a slidebly splined pinion thereon, :L ear affixed to said axle 1with which seid sp ined pinionis arranged to engage, and a manually operable zid`nsting lever extending upwardly :it one si e of the seat. for moving seid pinion on said shaft into end ont of engagement with seid gear.- A chdir structure' heving a sent, a pair of mein wheels therefor, n j eir of steering rollers in front of seid wfeele, vertically pirated supporte for the rollers,- -n. Steering mechanism connected with. saisi supports, and `having' e hendie near the seet, e' mannnlly eontroiled broke, e battery, en electric. motor und connections therefor comprising! e switch near the seat, trnneniiseon redne-V tion gearing comprising` e motor firi'ven.` simft parallel with seid gxle, a plnrsiiity off ntermeshing' genre sind pinions on. seid shaft and axle, one of said geen bein efiilxed to 'end-out o engagement with the gear eifiieecl to the axle.

In. .witness whereof, have hereunto set my hund thisr 20th dey of Febnmr w17.I

n FRANK EHI', Witwen 

